“A Real Fighter”
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Description
Ask the average person who’s the most famous boxer from Philadelphia and they’re likely to reply with “Rocky Balboa.” In fact, it was the real-life heavyweight champion Joe Frazier who ran up the Art Museum steps and boxed raw meat sides at a slaughterhouse. We examine who is remembered when we build monuments to our heroes, and who gets left out — and visit the places around Philadelphia where Smokin’ Joe’s legacy lives on. Show Notes The Fight of the Century Mark Kram Jr., Smokin’ Joe: The Life of Joe Frazier Official Joe Frazier website Brent Leggs and the National Trust for Historic Preservation James Shuler Memorial Boxing Gym Joe Frazier and the Knockouts on the Ed Sullivan Show
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We receive a mysterious micro-cassette containing a 20-year-old voicemail message from Sylvester Stallone. It allows us to tap into the mind of the man himself — uncovering why he created Rocky and what elements of Philadelphia he used to build the world around him. We meet possibly the biggest...
Published 02/14/23
Published 02/14/23
We journey to the bright lights of Hollywood to meet Rocky’s original sculptor, A. Thomas Schomberg. Also, we glimpse at rare, behind-the-scenes photos of Stallone and the artist during the statue’s creation. Back in Philly, we visit a foundry and a life-size replica of the Statue of David near...
Published 02/07/23